NOVUS CC 2025: Weekly Articles
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Beyond the Water: The Physical and Mental Toll of Flooding on Communities
Heavy Flood in Eastern Australia (Source: PhysOrg)
March 19, 2025 • ZACH PANLILIO
When the word “flooding” is put into consideration, many people tend to consider structural damage. Images of destroyed homes, roads, and walkways tend to come to mind. However, many overlook the impact flooding has on the physical and mental health of victims, such as disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and many other conditions. This significantly influences society, especially considering that 1.81 billion people, or 23% of the world population, are directly exposed to flood depths greater than 0.15 meters in a 1-in-100-year flood event, thus posing a severe risk to lives and livelihoods (Rentschler et al., 2022). By understanding the impacts of flooding on affected communities, we may gain better insight into effective solutions for these issues.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), flooding or “baha” can increase the prevalence of communicable diseases, which can be water or vector-borne. Several diseases may spread as a result of flooding. The first of which is typhoid fever. Typhoid fever is a life-threatening infection caused by Salmonella Typhi (World Health Organization, 2023). Inadequate sanitation and reliance on unsafe drinking water sources can contribute to the spread of typhoid (Department of Science and Technology, 2022). This is especially prevalent in floods, where many people are exposed to unclean water. Unsanitary practices during floods also lead to contamination and the spread of the sickness. Another disease seen during flooding is Cholera. Cholera may be person-to-person transmitted or acquired from aquatic reservoirs (e.g., lakes and oceans) of Vibrio cholerae. Floodwaters can overflow sanitation systems and contaminate the environment and water sources. In addition, they may impede access to safe water sources or sanitation facilities (Rieckmann et al., 2018). This disease can also spread when populations are displaced by flooding, and therefore relocate to other urban areas. Contaminated water as a result of flooding leads to a variety of other diseases, such as Leptospirosis and Dengue. The temperature during the flooding season and the presence of water in affected areas play significant roles in the spread of dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes (Vermont Law, 2024). This may be a reason to explain why, as of 2 December 2023, a total of 195,603 dengue cases have been reported in the Philippines (Cordero Jr., 2024). Beyond the spread of disease, floods also have significant physical impacts during these events. The number of casualties in the Philippines has risen in 2024 with 160 reported deaths, 135 injured, and 21 missing (Philippines: Tropical Cyclones and Floods 2024, 2024).
Heavy Floods and Thick Mud in Calabarzon (Source: philstar)
Flooding also has impacts on mental health. When people live through a flooding disaster, they are often exposed to traumatic events. This can lead to high levels of psychological distress. Some might even develop mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or substance use disorders (Bracher, 2022). Flooding may lead to displacement from communities and even families. For instance, during and after hazards, some children lose their lives, homes, and belongings, while others face separation from their families or sustain injuries (Analyzing the Impacts and Experiences of Children in Disaster, 2022). Another effect of experiencing traumatic events isPost Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. PTSD is a delayed reaction to extremely threatening or catastrophic conditions in the short or long term. It disturbs the individual’s daily life function and is associated with decreased health function and increased physical and mental illness (Golitaleb et al., 2022). The results of a study in Indonesia showed that 52% of flood victims had experienced PTSD and 98.3% of them experienced it again. Studies have also shown that from flooding and displacement, victims have experienced depression and anxiety.
Studies show us that flooding also impacts the human aspect of society. When addressing floods, it is crucial to prioritize the well-being of the affected population, ensuring the protection of their physical and mental health. This may be done first and foremost through disaster preparedness. By preventing the issues from occurring in the first place and being prepared to address them, early warning systems can be developed to prepare people for what is to come. In addition, mental and physical health support systems should be focused upon. Counseling, community programs, and healthcare access are all ways in which people struggling from the aftermath of flooding, may cope and eventually recover. This shows us that flooding is a natural disaster and a health crisis. With this, the NOVUS Case Competition aims to amplify youth voices by providing them with a platform to form solutions to solve societal problems considering human rights and well-being. As makers of the future, newer generations must be able to find ways to help society and the people within. A person-centered approach to natural disasters can greatly contribute to holistically addressing the problem.
References
Analyzing the impacts and experiences of children in disaster. (2022, June 15). ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420922002199
Bracher, J. (2022, May 18). This is how flooding can impact our health. Health effects of flooding, explained | News | Wellcome. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://wellcome.org/news/how-flooding-can-impact-our-health
Cordero Jr., D. (2024, February 19). Initiatives and Challenges of Dengue Incidence in the Philippine. Oxford Academic. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/229/5/1597/7610827
Department of Science and Technology. (2022). The Risks of Flooding: Protect yourself from floodwater diseases. DOST. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/news_and_updates/the-risks-of-flooding-protect-yourself-from-floodwater-diseases/
Golitaleb, M., Mazaheri, E., Bonyadi, M., & Sahebi, A. (2022, June 23). Prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder After Flood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder After Flood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9259936/
Gumban, E. (2022, October 31). After the heavy flood and rain due to #PaengPH, residents of Barangay San Juan 1 in Noveleta, Cavite have started removing debris and thick mud from their houses [Photograph]. In M. Jaymalin, Calabarzon warned vs post-flood diseases. The Philippine Star. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/11/01/2220621/calabarzon-warned-vs-post-flood-diseases
Philippines: Tropical Cyclones and Floods 2024. (2024, November 12). Connecting Business Initiative. https://www.connectingbusiness.org/ourwork/emergencies/philippines-tropical-cyclones-and-floods-2024#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20casualties%20has,135%20injured%20and%2021%20missing.
PhysOrg. (2022, February 26). Deadly rains, floods hit eastern Australia [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2022-02-deadly- eastern-australia.html
Rentschler, J., Salhab, M., & Jafino, B. (2022, June 28). Flood risk already affects 1.81 billion people. Climate change and unplanned urbanization could worsen exposure. World Bank Blogs. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/climatechange/flood-risk-already-affects-181-billion-people-climate-change-and-unplanned
Rieckmann, A., Tamason, C., & Gurley, E. (2018, March 5). Exploring Droughts and Floods and Their Association with Cholera Outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Register-Based Ecological Study from 1990 to 2010. PubMed Central. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5953376/
Vermont Law. (2024, July). Quantifying the Impact of Flood Adaptation on Dengue Fever with Geospatial Analysis: a Case Study in Pasig-Marikina-Laguna Lake Watershed, the Philippines. Vermont Law. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://www.vermontlaw.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Brief_Quantifying-the-impact-of-flood-adaptation-on-dengue-fever-with-geospatial-analysis_Nov13_2023.pdf
World Health Organization. (2023, March 30). Typhoid. World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/typhoid
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